Well, I'm far from an expert, so if anyone who knows better contradicts me, please follow their advice.

What I would do in your situation, is rather than focusing on strengthening the neck in order to practice, I would practice at a low enough level that my neck could handle it, and gradually increase the intensity to allow my neck to adjust. For instance, in the video below, I would SLOWLY practice the exercises up to the 20 second mark. Don't go beyond that until you are comfortable.